Date:	Tuesday 9 June 1936
Time:
Type:	Hawker Demon Mk I
Owner/operator:	41 Sqn RAF
Registration:	K4536
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Near Sheikh Othman, (Aden) -   Yemen
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Sheikh Othman
Destination airport:	RAF Sheikh Othman
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
During formation flying practice with two other aircraft at 5,000 feet in the vicinity of Sheikh Othman airfield, Demons K4535 and K4536 manoeuvred to take up the same (left-hand) position in the formation, K4535 ascending into position and K4536 descending into position.

The aircraft collided with another spun to the ground. The pilots baled out and were unhurt, but their air gunners were trapped in the aircraft and killed. The pilot of K4536 was 37449 Plt Off Edward Graham and his air gunner was 514998 AC1 Francis Allday. The pilot of K4535 was 37455 Plt Off John A. Richards and his air gunner was 565066 AC1 Allan S. Bailey. 23-year-old Allday and 21-year-old Bailey were buried with full military honours in Maala British Cemetery.

A subsequent investigation found that “insufficient instructions [had been] given by [the] formation leader”, though his name was omitted from the ORB and Flying Accident Card. In reference to Allday and Bailey, it was felt they were “not to blame” for the accident, but the AOC thought they “might have been instructed to keep a better look out”. All three quotes are from Flying Accident Card AM Form 1180, 41 Squadron, Aden, 9 June 1936 (RAF Museum).

Considering that Plt Offs Richards and Graham had been able to make use of their parachutes, but that AC1s Allday and Bailey had not, the investigation also recommended that modifications be made to the observers’ harnesses to allow them to be attached more easily when stowed in the aircraft.

1. Air-Britain The K File The RAF of the 1930s
2. Flying Accident Cards AM Form 1180, 41 Squadron, Aden, 9 June 1936
3. ORB, 41 Sqn RAF, TNA AIR 27/424
4. Telegraph, 10 Jun 1936
5. Dundee Courier, 10 Jun 1936
6. Western Daily Press, 10 Jun 1936

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
08-Oct-2009 07:07	JINX	Added
21-Jun-2013 11:32	Nepa	Updated [Operator]
14-Jul-2013 02:55	JINX	Updated [Operator, Source]
06-Jun-2015 21:20	Angel dick one	Updated [Operator]
27-Jul-2020 09:23	Cobar	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport]
25-Apr-2022 12:34	Steve Brew	Updated [Phase, Source, Narrative]